the year that was 2012 (in which I try to condense my year into hellos, goodbyes, celebrations, journeys and lessons learnt.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:: hello to
 2 bedroom changes
 2 new businesses
 4 new housemates
 2 ducks and 3 chickens
 6 new friends
 1 new love 
 his 3 beautiful children 
 1 Bachelor of Visual Arts

:: goodbye to
 1 lovely cat Gigersquee
 1 wonderful relationship
 1 job quit
 4 old housemates
 6cm of hair chopped off on a whim 

:: celebrated
1 2012 cardboard tube fighting league champion crown. true story.
7 birthday parties
2 music concerts
2 art exhibition contributions 
 lots of dinner parties

:: journeyed
1 family trip to ikea
5 ace camping trips
6 long train trips
4 flights
1 long bus trip
1 car trip to the snow!
5 picnics
2 trips to museum and art gallery

:: learned
 how to play a lot of poker
 sometimes quitting is actually the best thing
 how to sew an adjustable duck nappy
 how to play 5 songs on the ukulele
 Dr Who is awesome  
 beans and corn grow really well together
 how to talk about postmodernism
 donuts are easier to make then you'd think
 move your hips away from the turn when skiing
 lots about running a business
 letting go of something great is really really hard, even if it's for the right reasons


I hope you had a wonderful year too, and Happy New Year for 2013!
x
 
 

plush you!

(all photos via Schmancy)

Plush You! is an annual exhibition of plush toys, curated by the ace Kristen Rask of Schmancy Toys in Seattle (You may also recognize the name from the book they brought out a few years back). I was super-excited to be part of this years show with my bearded men!

I've had a look on the interwebs (alas I did not fly to the US for the show. Woulda been nice.) at some of the artists, and good heavens. This gal is my fav, methinks. Although it's very very hard to choose. You can see a bit about it here on Unanimous Craft, or you can read my interview with Kirsten on the Schmancy blog over here along with a whole lotta interviews from plush artists and links to their work.

Yay!

Love Combating Fear

via

Did you know that today is the International Day against Homophobia? It is held each year on May 17 marking the World Health Organization’s removal of homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1990. Isn't it amazing that homosexuality was considered a mental disorder in 1990! While we were watching Growing Pains and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, gay men and women were diagnosed with mental disorders for liking someone.

A friend's partner is showing work at the (free) IDAHO Exhibition in Sydney, at Kudos Gallery, Paddington 18 - 29 May 2010. One of the main goals of this years exhibition is to promote the message 'Love Combating Fear'. Every decision a human makes is either based on Love or Fear. The exhibition aims to promote a message of Love to combat homophobia and the negative consequences it has. His photography is amazing, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of the work, and showing my support for the inclusion and total acceptance of homosexuals in society. I don't really give a toss who people are attracted to, and I certainly don't think anyone should be discriminated against in any way because of it.

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For more information, visit the website. You can download posters, add a button to your blog, and read more about it.

Super (dooper)

Ruban Rat is a designer toy store and gallery that have just moved from Newtown just a skip and a jump away to Stanmore in Sydney's Inner West. They have clothes and art too. Super dooper glad I found them because I was sad to think they'd disappeared.

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This is what the store looked like in Newtown. I can't wait to visit the new one and get all inspired up.

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I especially love it because it's the first place I saw the work of cat rabbit who is double super dooper. Really.

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TRIPLE super dooper is the Monster Invasion plushie exhibition they're having soon.
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I know I'm spruiking them heaps but, well, I am unashamedly because they're a plushie art gallery and local designers and I love!